Our most advanced birds of prey are born Texan

Kay Baily Hutchison

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 26, 2005

But then I step away from my desk, look out the window and remember all the good we manage to achieve in the U.S. Senate. One of the most important parts of the big picture is protecting American soldiers overseas. Texans have a major role in this effort.

Protecting our way of life depends upon the superiority of our armed forces, and controlling the skies plays a crucial role. I am proud to say that due to our unequaled air superiority, not a single bomb has been dropped on American troops in active combat since 1953. Now, we are building the next generation of combat aircraft-the F/A-22 Raptor, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 Osprey. And Texas stands on the vanguard of these efforts.

In the late 1980s the Department of Defense accepted bids to build the next American tactical fighter, to replace the aging F-15. The Department recognized that in our ever-changing world, we must always stay one step ahead of the game. We need to have planes with greater lethality and survivability, meaning that not only should the craft be deadly to our enemies, but it should protect our pilots.

Lockheed Martin, based in Fort Worth, won the competition to produce the F/A-22 Raptor. In supercruise mode, the plane is so fast and stealthy that our pilots can almost completely avoid detection. A Raptor will be able to zoom in, neutralize a hostile target and be on its way home safely before the enemy knows it is there. The F/A-22 will be operational in December 2005.

A full third of the F/A-22 aircraft components are built in Fort Worth; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics assembles the central fuselage section and its components. Progressive Incorporated mills some parts in their Arlington facility, and the Raytheon company manufactures the Processor, Interface Controller, and Communications (PICC) module. This huge project has brought many jobs to Texas. Aside from jobs working on the aircraft itself, Lockheed Martin estimates that for every $1 million spent on Raptor salaries, local communities will have up to $3.5 million dollars of positive economic impact. The entire project will enlist support from over 1,000 suppliers in 42 states and create more than 48,000 high-tech jobs. So, at the same time Texas produces a plane with great benefits to our country, Texas receives many benefits itself.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a symbol of American prowess and teamwork. Designed with advanced stealth and avionics systems, it is also the first strike fighter built with a special eye towards cooperation. The fighter is actually a family of three aircraft that share 80 percent of their basic components but are each tailored for different branches of the service. This advance in our fighter fleet is tantamount to Eli Whitney's invention of interchangeable parts or Henry Ford's use of an assembly line to build cars. Fewer unique parts means we can build a less expensive aircraft without sacrificing a pilot's ability to complete his mission.

One variant of the F-35 can take off from a very short runway, fly at supersonic speeds, hover in mid-air for minutes at a time and land vertically on any solid surface. Additionally, ground troops will depend upon the improved ability of the F-35 to perform close-air support, neutralizing tanks and personnel, much as the A-10 Thunderbolt did in both Gulf Wars and Afghanistan. The F-35 will make sure our pilots get the job done and come home safely, and it is expected to be battle-ready in 2012.

The F-35 is also a Lockheed Martin project based in Fort Worth. Texas companies Vought, AIT, and H.M. Dunn will all play large roles in the completion of the aircraft, bringing numerous jobs to their communities. Texans will do even more for the F-35 than for the F/A-22 Raptor project, with 60 percent of the work in Texas, including final assembly.

We must not forget another contribution Texas has made to American air dominance: the V-22 Osprey. Bell Helicopter has partnered with Boeing and nearly 500 Texas-based subcontractors to build the Osprey in Amarillo. This amazing aircraft has maneuverable propeller engines that allow it to take off like a helicopter, tilt its propellers forward and fly like a conventional plane; when returning to earth, it lands like a helicopter too. This has immeasurable benefit for our Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. Navy and Coast Guard units use the craft today in search and rescue missions and deployment of special forces, like the Navy Seals. A detachment of Marines can leave their base and be in place on the battlefield twice as quickly than if they had used a conventional helicopter. The ability of the V-22 to provide reliable airlifts in battle zones helps our troops complete the most important mission of all-coming home safely.

The next time you look up into the sky at a passing airplane, remember that the most advanced planes for the best military in the world have been made with Texas grit, determination and ingenuity. The birds of prey that lead America's defense anywhere in the world have Texan blood flowing through their veins.